Friday, November 26, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Avoidance to the Rescue
Somedays I need a distraction and today is just that day. So without further ado, allow me to be distracted! Let's recap, my "chapter 1 challenge" was mostly successful. I say mostly because it didn't happen over the weekend as planned. Instead it was later that week, as my schedule would allow. While part of me wants to say "Kraemer that was the bet", meaning it was a zero sum target, I haven't forgotten this is my hobby and I'm pretty happy to have got that done.
Part of why it didn't happen entirely according to schedule was at first I tried to just force myself to write, (like I was being paid by the word). I had to actually leave it alone for a while and come back to it with a better attitude. This is because, frankly, it was sucking. It didn't take a huge shift in approach, just a little more interest in what I was actually doing, instead of sole interest in meeting a random target. That's really all it took and I got some additional ideas when I took a little more time and effort that rounded out the chapter. It's fun to use the story as an excuse to do a little research on random things like waterfalls and skid-loaders.
Now onto other things. The title of today's entry is referring to what these projects actually mean to me and their role in my life. I have few opportunities these days to slip away entirely into something that has no consequences. Writing is allowing me to blow off steam. Moreover, I find that writing fiction allows me to express things that are interesting to me, or otherwise captivating or bothering me in a way that is out of context and not harmful. But it can be pretty all consuming. I came home after a stressful day and all I wanted to do was pick the story up and sink into it (I didn't tonight because I knew I'd have about enough energy to write a page and then fall asleep).
I'd say on a scale of 1-10 that's a 9 of a successful hobby. So my next task will be to either review the plot line and refine it (which is what I end up doing if I can't get my head around the task) and/or start the second chapter and hopefully get 15 pages in our so. It's already November and I'm still puttering away on the first project but I don't want to split my limited time so I guess I'll have to say "suck it up buttercup" to myself and keep at it.
Part of why it didn't happen entirely according to schedule was at first I tried to just force myself to write, (like I was being paid by the word). I had to actually leave it alone for a while and come back to it with a better attitude. This is because, frankly, it was sucking. It didn't take a huge shift in approach, just a little more interest in what I was actually doing, instead of sole interest in meeting a random target. That's really all it took and I got some additional ideas when I took a little more time and effort that rounded out the chapter. It's fun to use the story as an excuse to do a little research on random things like waterfalls and skid-loaders.
Now onto other things. The title of today's entry is referring to what these projects actually mean to me and their role in my life. I have few opportunities these days to slip away entirely into something that has no consequences. Writing is allowing me to blow off steam. Moreover, I find that writing fiction allows me to express things that are interesting to me, or otherwise captivating or bothering me in a way that is out of context and not harmful. But it can be pretty all consuming. I came home after a stressful day and all I wanted to do was pick the story up and sink into it (I didn't tonight because I knew I'd have about enough energy to write a page and then fall asleep).
I'd say on a scale of 1-10 that's a 9 of a successful hobby. So my next task will be to either review the plot line and refine it (which is what I end up doing if I can't get my head around the task) and/or start the second chapter and hopefully get 15 pages in our so. It's already November and I'm still puttering away on the first project but I don't want to split my limited time so I guess I'll have to say "suck it up buttercup" to myself and keep at it.
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